The Fabulous Baker Boys
![Watch film The Fabulous Baker Boys — The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989) Original Trailer [HD]](https://www.acmodasi.in/amdb/images/posters/1/8/the-fabulous-baker-boys-1989-pH3nY.webp)
Short description
The Fabulous Baker Boys is a 1989 American film about two brothers, Frank and Jack Baker, who have played piano together as a lounge act for years. With bookings thinning out and audiences shrinking, they decide to add a singer to the lineup. Susie Diamond, a striking woman with no real stage background, auditions and turns out to be far more talented than they expected. Her arrival revives the act and shifts the dynamic between the brothers, particularly once Jack becomes involved with her. The story moves through comedy, drama, music and romance.
Steve Kloves wrote and directed the film, the first he directed; his second, Flesh and Bone, followed in 1993. Michelle Pfeiffer plays Susie, with Jeff Bridges as Jack and Beau Bridges as Frank. The cast also includes Ellie Raab, Jennifer Tilly and Xander Berkeley.
The production had a budget of about 13 million US dollars and took roughly 18 million worldwide, a modest return at the box office. On IMDb it holds 7.8 out of 10 from 31 reviews, while on TMDB it stands at 6.6 out of 10 from 382 votes, so critics rated it noticeably higher than the wider audience did.
What's left behind the scenes
- The roles of the main characters, the pianist brothers, were played by real-life brothers, actors Jeff and Beau Bridges.
- For filming in this picture, the brothers specifically learned all the songs performed in the film – to play them themselves on camera. Beau and Jeff spent hours watching recordings of the film’s composer, Dave Grusin, playing and trying to copy his movements.
- Madonna and Debra Winger both declined the lead female role in this film. The role went to Michelle Pfeiffer. And not only did Michelle perform it brilliantly – she also sang all the songs in the film without using a vocal double.
- When Michelle Pfeiffer was cast as Suzie, she hadn't sung in a year. She had to quickly catch up – she practiced in the studio for 10 hours a day, and listened to recordings of her practice at home in the evenings.
- When work on the film was just beginning, George Roy Hill (1921-2002) was the director of the project, and he worked closely with Steven Kloves in New York for six weeks. Kloves ultimately became the director when Hill left the project due to creative differences regarding the film's ending (and no one else expressed interest in taking the director's chair).
- Most of the film was shot at night. That's why director Steven Kloves hired production designer Jeffrey Townsend. He greatly admired Townsend's work on Martin Scorsese's crime comedy 'After Hours' (1985), which was filmed almost entirely at night. In addition to Townsend, Kloves brought on cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (1935-2017), who had also worked with Scorsese.
- When George Roy Hill was still considered to be directing the film, Steven Kloves suggested casting Whitney Houston (1963-2012) in the role of Suzie. It was a period of rising popularity for her, and Kloves and Hill even attended one of her concerts in New York. After the concert, Hill agreed to the idea of casting Houston and even changing the minor ending (he proposed that the Baker brothers, along with Suzie, go to Las Vegas and achieve success there). Kloves put an end to his dreams, stating that he would not allow the film's ending to be changed, with or without Houston.
Similar movies
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
